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Inside Today: Santa pays an early visit to some local businesses • Page 2B

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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston

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Saturday, November 18, 2017 • Vol. 62 • No. 47

About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.

OFE principal leaving school mid-year By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Oak Forest Elementary will unexpectedly need to seek a new commander-in-chief during the coming weeks. Last week, it was announced to the school community that Dr. April Williams, who has served at the helm of OFE since July of 2015, was stepping down from her role,

effective immediately, to take another position within the district. While an administrator leaving mid-year is unusual, HISD officials confirmed that administrators do not sign a contract for employment with a school – only with the district – meaning that they can leave that school at any time. HISD officials also confirmed to The Leader that

April Williams

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Given national news of late, and mass shootings in Las Vegas and, more recently, at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the scene at a Heights restaurant last weekend brought the concerns closer to home. Per an alert from the Precinct One Constable’s office, HPD officers -- along with Precinct One deputies in the immediate area -- responded to a call to Christian’s Tailgate Bar & Grill at 2820 White Oak Dr. shortly after 4 p.m. Nov. 9, where the reportee said a man walked into the business stating he was going to shoot everyone and then fled the scene on foot. According to the Houston Police Department, In Depth the suspect, now identified as Cody Kemp, 28, alSee what HPD and legedly had some sort of Constable Alan Rosen a dating relationship with say you should do in case you are in a poan employee at the restautential active-shooter rant and bar. She allegedsituation. ly contacted the suspect to break it off, and he rePage 2A sponded by sending her a threatening text message according to authorities. Upon seeing him on location, police say the employee called them fearing for her safety and that of the patrons. By the time officers arrived on scene, the suspect had already left the premises, but was spotted across the street at 2802 White Oak Dr., sitting outside. The moment authorities approached and attempted to speak to him, the suspect allegedly took off on foot, leading HPD officers and Precinct One Constable’s deputies in a brief foot pursuit, refusing to comply with officers’ demands to stop. Officers briefly lost sight of the suspect, which then initiated a perimeter setup from additional backup, but eventually located him a short time later near the Camden Heights Apartments in the 400 block of Oxford Street, where he was taken into custody with the assistance of Precinct One deputies and a K-9 officer. No weapon was found on his person when arrested. Kemp has since been charged with evading arrest, a misdemeanor, in connection with the incident according to the Houston Police Department.

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SPX honors Kubiak Grab a cup. Urban Eats does the cup of Joe a latte justice with some spice.

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Luck of the nachos. The Stuttgarden Tavern puts their Irish twist on a food fav.

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Find it. FOR SALE: 1988 CADILLAC EL DORADO BRITZ: 56,000 original miles. One owner. Please call 713-686-4777, 832-725-1940.

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The INDEX. Church....................................................... 5A Classifieds.............................................. 4B Coupons. ................................................. 5A Food/Drink/Art................................... 1B Obituaries.............................................. 5A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 4A Sports. ....................................................... 8A

with HISD as a fifth-grade teacher at Law Elementary School, and has served as a classroom teacher at both Peck Elementary and Ryan Middle School. Williams also held the role of high school graduation coach. While at both Peck and Ryan, she received the Classroom Teacher of the Year and the English as a Second Language Teacher of the Year awards.

Man arrested after saying he would shoot everyone in bar

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Williams will be taking over as the principal at Young Women’s College Prep, an allgirls HISD school, after the school’s former principal was promoted to a central office position within HISD. Prior to taking the helm at Oak Forest Elementary in 2015, Williams previously served as an assistant principal at Lanier Middle School. She began her 12-year career

Gary Kubiak was already a known name in Houston from his time with the Texans, but his alma mater has etched his name in big, bold letters above its football stadium. Kubiak, a 1979 graduate of St. Pius X High School, was in attendance Nov. 10 as the Panthers ensured they will never forget a local legend, officially unveiling the renamed Kubiak Stadium at Parsley Field scoreboard during halftime of last week’s game against St. Thomas. During his time sporting the St. Pius No. 9 jersey, Kubiak was an all-district, all-state and All-American four-year starting quarterback from 1975-1978, leading St. Pius X to three consecutive state titles, all while setting the then-state high school passing record with 6,190 career passing yards. In 1999, Kubiak became the first member of private institution to be inducted into the Texas High School Hall of Fame, according to the school’s website. Photos by Wayne Donnelly

Heights Association will honor Cohen Saturday By Betsy Denson For The Leader It’s hard to imagine it now, but in the mid-1970s the Heights was an economically depressed area that was reeling from The Candy Man killings. That’s when a group of individuals and businesses in the area banded together to form what is now the Houston Heights Association. Flash forward to 2017 and the Heights couldn’t look more different. As that transformation has a great deal to do with Heights residents Carl and Melvalene Cohen, it is more than fitting that they will be honored at the dedication of the Carl and Melvalene Cohen Plaza, on 11th and Heights Boulevard this Saturday, November 18th at 10 am. Carl Cohen passed away in 1999 but his 94-year old wife Melvalene will

Photo by Betsy Denson The Lombard Lamp will still be a centerpiece of the Carl and Melvalene Cohen Plaza. The dedication will happen this Saturday at 10 a.m.

be in attendance and couldn’t be more excited about it.

The plaza was sadly “in need of loving care,” said Melvalene.

As Heights historian Anne Sloan tells it, the germination of the plaza started around 1977 when Hamburg, Germany donated four replicas of their historic Lombard Bridge streetlights to the United States. New York City’s Central Park got one. And so did Heights Boulevard. “Melvalene was on the Municipal Arts Commission,” said Sloan. “It was Melvalene’s idea to bring one of the lamps to Houston and because of the city’s German influence, the lamp came here. She wanted to beautify and enhance the boulevard.” In 1999, the area on Heights Boulevard around the lamp was expanded to include new benches and greenery. Because of the Cohen’s tremendous contributions to the area, the decision was See Cohen P. 6A

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